1. Field
This invention relates generally to an extraction process. More specifically, it is a process for the extraction of quassinoids from natural substances.
2. Background of the Invention
The Jamaican Quassia or Bitterwood, Picrasma excelsa is a member of the plant family Simaroubaceae in the order Sapindales. It is a tree, 6-25 meters tall, native to the Greater Antilles of the West Indies, and is common in various localities in Jamaica. See, Adams, C. D. Flowering Plants of Jamaica. 1972. University Press, Glasgow, p. 390. Other members of this family include, for example, Quassia amara, Picrasma quassioides, and Quassia africana. 
Quassinoids have been indicated in the use of medicaments due to biological activities such as anti-malarial, anti-insecticidal, anti-amoebicidal, antileukemic, and anti-viral properties. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,712 to Grieco et al. Additionally, a new treatment for malaria has been proposed, using a combination of quassin/neoquassin with artesunate, a derivative of artemisinin (see Chakraborty, et al., Exp. Parisitol. 2010, 124 (4), 421-7, Plasmodium falciparum: in vitro interaction of quassin and neo-quassin with artesunate, a hemisuccinate derivative of artemesinin).
The main active ingredients of the wood, quassin and neoquassin (FIGS. 1A and 1B) have been reported to stimulate the appetite and to aid digestion; and because of these properties they are ingredients of aperitifs, and are also used in the treatment of the eating disorder, anorexia nervosa. See for example, Bown, D. The Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses., 1995, Dorling Kindersley, London, p. 327; and Chavalier, A. The Dorling Kindersley Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine. 2000. Dorling Kindersley, p. 247.
Additionally, quassin and neoquassin are used in alcoholic beverages, e.g. aperitifs such as Campari™, and other beverages and grapefruit flavored drinks, such as Ting™. See for example, Coyle, L. P. The World Encyclopedia of Foods. Facts On File, Inc., New York, 1982, p. 543. In addition, quassin and neoquassin have been used as natural botanical pesticides, against insects, nematodes, as a vermifuge, and as a treatment for head lice. See, Jacobson, M. 1989, Botanical Pesticides: Past, Present, and Future, American Chemical Society; Prakash, A., Rao, J. 1997, Botanical Pesticides in Agriculture. CRC Press Inc., Boca Raton, USA., pp. 254-255; Kuriyama, T., Ju, X., Fusazaki, S., Hishinuma, H., Satou, T., Koike, K., Nikaido, T., Ozoe, Y. 2005; Nematocidal quassinoids and bicyclophosphorothionates: a possible common mode of action on the GABA receptor, Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, 81, pp. 176-187; Chilemi, S., Chilemi, M. 2007, The Complete Herbal Guide: A Natural Approach to Healing the Body. Lulu Press, Inc., Raleigh, N.C., pp. 336-337; Munro, D., Munro, J., Bone, K. Head Lice Formulation, U.S. Patent Appl. No. 2004/0005344. Furthermore, they have also been formulated in a topical and intravaginal treatment for microbes and parasites (Diehl et al., Topical and Intravaginal Microbicidal and Antiparasitic Compositions Comprising Quassinoids or Quassinoid-Containing Plant Extracts, U.S. Patent Appl. No. 2008/0089958).
Jamaica is the most important global source of the Bitterwood wood chips, and some trade information on the export of wood chips from the island is given in Table 1.
TABLE 1Exports of Bitterwood chips.*YearQuantity (Kg)Value (US$)2002114,135150,790200389,825141,6432004136,950252,5332005105,317147,2072006127,844206,6312007107,139175,2072008172,502309,714*Source: The Jamaica Export Trading Co., Ltd.